§ Mr. SimsTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 19 July.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardAt this meeting, at which I represented the United Kingdom, the Council adopted two regulations relating to farmers who were not originally allocated milk quotas at the time of their introduction in 1984, because they had, under a scheme in force at the time, undertaken not to produce milk for a five-year period. These measures were necessary to implement the latest in a series of judgments of the European Court that these farmers were entitled to quotas. I abstained in the vote on one of the regulations, providing for cash compensation for the period during which these farmers were deprived of quota, on the grounds that the compensation was too generous.
The Council also adopted, by majority vote, a regulation setting standard qualities for cereals for intervention buying and other purposes. While not voting against, I urged the Commission to embody in legislative form the circumstances in which they have assured us that intervention buying would be available for feed wheat.
Finally, the Council adopted, by majority vote, a directive concerning the labelling and use of animal feedingstuffs designed for special nutritional purposes. I voted against the measure on the grounds that it was unnecessarily detailed and restrictive.
The Council discussed the welfare of farm animals in transport and I welcomed the Commission's intention to present proposals on this subject shortly.
I also raised the issue of those farmers coming out of five year set-aside this year. I have reported the outcome in my reply today to my hon. Friend the Member for Staffordshire, South (Mr. Cormack).